Typhoon “Leon” made landfall over southeastern Taiwan on Thursday afternoon, according to the 5 p.m. bulletin of state weather bureau PAGASA.
The center of its eye was estimated at 320 kilometers north-northwest of Itbayat, Batanes.
Leon was moving northwestward at 25 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 155 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 255 kph.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 was raised over the northern portion of Batanes (Itbayat).
Meanwhile, Signal No. 1 was hoisted over the rest of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Sanchez-Mira, Claveria, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Gonzaga, Santa Teresita, Santa Ana), and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Bangui, Burgos, Dumalneg, Adams, Pagudpud).
After crossing the landmass of Taiwan, the typhoon will then turn northeastward over Taiwan Strait toward the East China Sea and exit the Philippine area of responsibility Thursday night or Friday early morning.
